Animal Doctor: Indoor cat has tragic reaction to a leukemia shot

11:36 PM,
Dec. 23, 2013

Written by

Dr. Michael Fox

Question - I owned two cats, both indoor-only. One cat was domesticated when I got her; the other was a feral kitten someone found and gave to me. She was still young enough to tame, but even after age 4, she was still not very trusting.

Both cats got their yearly exam and shots, including one for feline leukemia. A few months after Lovely got her annual shots, I noticed that she was limping. I examined her right leg and found a large mass on her upper shoulder - she has long fur, so it wasn't noticeable except by feeling. I took her to my vet, who did a needle biopsy and gave me some pain meds for her. The next ...